News & Events
3rd stakeholder workshop in Greece emphasises the role of BIOTRAILS outputs as policy-relevant outcomes for fisheries and aquaculture
On 29th of September 2025, the BIOTRAILS project held its third participatory workshop in Athens, Greece, bringing together key actors from the fisheries and aquaculture value chain. The event was co-organised by the Hellenic Aquaculture Producers’ Organisation (HAPO) and Harokopio University of Athens (HUA), both core partners of the project.
This workshop marked the final validation stage of BIOTRAILS’ work to date, presenting the main research outcomes developed over the past three years within the Greek Aquaculture and Fisheries case study. Participants were invited to provide final feedback to ensure that the project’s outputs translate into policy-relevant and practical tools for promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainability in the sector. Designed for inclusivity and impact, the event brought together members of the Learning and Action Alliances (LAA) who had followed the project since its inception, as well as new participants. This participant composition ensured both continuity and fresh perspectives, making the results relevant to a broad range of potential users.
Led by Dr. Evangelia Drakou, Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at HUA, the workshop featured two sessions: a presentation of core outcomes, followed by a participatory exercise. Participants represented a diverse mix of stakeholders from public institutions, the private sector, NGOs, and civil society, fostering both meaningful discussions and the growth of a community of practice to carry the BIOTRAILS legacy forward.
Dr. Drakou opened the event with an overview of the project’s current state and progress, followed by Adelphi’s presentation of key policy recommendations. Participants provided targeted feedback on how these recommendations could be refined for greater applicability, with representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Fisheries and Aquaculture sectors emphasising the need for clearer, less generalised guidance.
The second session focused on technical outputs. CNR presented the results of the Participatory System Dynamics Model (PDSM) and introduced the Nexus Policy Simulator. HUA facilitated a group exercise in which participants explored the tool and proposed practical enhancements, such as improving data transparency, integrating policy recommendations from Adelphi as preset options, and tailoring the interface to different user categories.
Contributions from BIOTRAILS consortium partners included
- Evangelia Drakou (HUA): Introduction to the project, objectives of the workshop and core outcomes for the Greek case study.
- Virginia Rosa Coletta (CNR): The Participatory System Dynamics Model results for the Greek case study.
- Johannes Stahl (ADEL): Policies and core leverage points identified for the Greek case study.
- Sofia Skordili (HUA): Facilitation of the stakeholder exercises.
To conclude, the workshop confirmed once more the value of the LAA in this case study, as participants were grateful for the fact that this EU project facilitated a dialogue between institutions that do not usually come together under a common goal, namely the conservation of Mediterranean fisheries and aquaculture systems. BIOTRAILS will continue to support this process through the final dissemination of the outputs at the end of the project.